This is a mother daughter blog. We review monthly subscription boxes, beauty products, and other new products we are currently raving about! Welcome, and please feel free to comment on the posts and let us know what your favorite items are!

Past boxes from only $25 - Limited Time Only

Monday, January 26, 2015

I got my Little Lace Box this morning just as I was leaving for work. I was tempted to stay and open it, but well, that wouldn't be right. So, I spent all day staying off email and blog sites because I did not want any spoilers on this one!
Little Lace Box has quickly become one of my favorite boxes. They are managing to find the coolest and most unique items anyone can think of. The theme this month was "The Dining Car". I knew this meant vintage and I would love this box. I was not wrong.

It was tough to decide which pic to lead with. The first look in the box? or the Teapot? Which is just too cute!

This months box came in a big long box. When I first opened it up, all I saw was white peanuts. Now, I just happened to have been wishing I had some of these packing peanuts, so I wasn't disappointed to see this, lol. The box included the Red Little Lace Box, and another box. After I brushed some peanuts away, I saw the pic and I had to get to this first.

Siena Tea Collection Tea For one - $29.99 You get extra pics because it's just too cute. And I don't even drink tea! The box it's kept is in also super cute.

Downtown Abbey Classic Edwardian Hair Jewelry Bobby Pin Set - $21.99 I was totally hoping for something from the Downtown Abbey Jewelry Collection. I was pretty much expecting it once I heard the theme vintage. I am currently collect DA jewelry pieces, and LOVING the line. I cannot find this exact item online, so I'm sending a link to my favorite store to get DA pieces from.

Beekman 1802 Authentic Hand-forged Britannia Fruit Spoon - $19.99 This spoon is just beautiful. It came in a box, rolled in paper. It had a little info card that explained about it. I had to take extra pics just to show you some of the detail. I can picture an afternoon of tea, with this spoon used for the fruit bowl, maybe some cucumber sandwiches. I can envision the setting. It's made of the same pewter-type alloy used to make the "Oscar" statuettes. the mold is an actual late 18th century spoon mold that was found in the back of an abandoned shop on the ground of the Beekman Mansion. The detail is just amazing.

Royal Apothic Holland Park Bubble Cream - $18.99. Basically, this is a bath gel. Love the packaging! I don't know if there were different flavors sent out, but I would love to try the Lemoncello.

How to be a lady by Candace Simpson Giles - $16.99 Here is a description of the book " Naturally, you know women who are kind and intelligent, witty and resourceful; but a lady is an altogether different variety of female. She’s mindful of the effect she has on those around her, and she’s careful not to let her words or appearance betray her true intentions.How to Be a Lady is a charming reminder of what it takes to be an exemplary woman—someone who knows how to breeze through an awkward conversation with poise, or delicately sidestep the beauty salon gossip". I think there is a time and a place for this, but even I don't want to be her all the time! I breezed through the book, there are some good tips for younger girls who maybe have not yet given much thought to certain issues, such as "always be honest with your doctor", "never show up to a party as or with an uninvited guest" and "only date those who respect your decision to say No". It's a random book of advice. Most of it's obvious. And the rest tells you when to remove the salad plates.

Little Lace Box is $39.99/month and this box had a value of approx $135. This is definitely one of my favorite subscription boxes! I know I said it earlier, but they are managing to find the coolest and most unique items. This month was super fun and I can't wait to see what they have in store next month.
`A

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Beauty DNA is a monthly subscription box that sends you a full size brand name beauty product each month. $25/month and the value generally way exceeds that. I usually receive a skincare product, but a couple times I received a hair care product. You fill out a survey about your beauty concerns and preferences and they match you with your likes and avoid products that contain your dislikes. I have never received anything that I have listed as do not like.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

I just got my latest shipment of Downtown Abbey Jewelry. If your not familiar, it's vintage inspired jewelry. So far, I've found it's sold at Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond, and the online store 1928.com. I'm really loving this collection. I posted a few days ago about the earrings I got, and now I have the matching necklace.

I'm really liking the fabulous boxes the jewelry comes in.I've already picked out the next set I'm getting. But I'm waiting for a coupon!
`A

Our Ipsy- bags arrived! K and I both got the exact same bag this month, which never happens so I'm unclear why. The theme is "Fresh Start", which sounds fitting for January. Ipsy- $10/ month/ no shipping charges. You get a cute makeup bag filled with 4-5 personalized beauty products.

The makeup bag is cute, blue on one side and white on the other. I like that it's not just a plain color.

Malin + Goetz mojito lip balm - I've received this before and I really like it. This is probably the only item I'll be keeping this month. It has a slightly minty feel and definitely feels refreshing.

eco-beauty good day moisturizer - The listing says "free from questionable ingredients". While I'm not entirely sure what that means, it sounds good. I really like the product presentation. By that I mean the cap that you can squeeze out of. It doesn't have that foil packet feel to it and I like that it's different.

I'm not overly impressed with this months bag. I've seen some other versions that I wish we had been picked for. Also, K got her shipment almost a week ago and I can't figure out why I just now got mine. If you are interested in Ipsy, you can use our sign up link here.

Fabletics is a monthly subscription service that sends you a workout outfit each month. K and I both signed up when we saw a coupon for $25 for the first month. Regular price is $49.95/mo. Your personalized picks will be ready by the 1st of the month, which means they have suggested outfits for you. You must skip by the 5th of the month in order to not be charged. You can cancel at anytime, however, there is no option to do this online and you must call them. K already got her review up yesterday, so I thought I better get going on mine.

Headband - $3.11 This was included with my outfit. I do not yet know if I will have a use for this. Both K and I have long hair and tend to pull back rather than just use a headband.

Leon Tank - $15.60 I loved the color in the stock photo, but the actual color is a little brighter. I still love it though. I'm showing stock pics next to what I received so you can see the difference.

Salar Legging - $31.24 Leggings are always the real test if something is quality or not, and I can't believe the quality on these. They are thick yet stretchy. Great quality and I want more.

Tom's Natural deodorant - this was a bonus item thrown in. I do not think much of natural deodorants, and won't be trying this.

Verdict - I'm very impressed with the quality of Fabletics. If I had known, I would have signed up much sooner. I have been a Zella fan for years, which is Nordstrom in-house brand for athletic clothing. I had no idea there were any other brands with equivalent quality on the market, as I have never given it much thought. I just recently heard of Lululemon, but only because of the CEO public comments made in 2014 (not nice to women). Then I found out that the creative director for Zella used to work for Lululemon, which explains the similarities. I'm actually quite pleased to see another option on the market that is available through subscription service. I don't know that I'll be keeping this as I'm not really in need of these outfits at this time since I'm already well stocked. But I will say it is was well worth the $25, and even at $49.95 it is still a good deal. I always say, if you want to get motivated for exercise, start with the outfit!
`A

As it is the beginning of 2015 of coarse my New Years Resolution is to live a healthier lifestyle this year, which includes working out! I saw that Fabletics was running a special for half off your first outfit. Fabletics is a subscription service co-founded by Kate Hudson and includes workout outfits that run from $50-80. What makes me happy about this program is you can skip any month, but you have to do so by the 5th or else you will get charged the $50 and that will be counted as store credit.

I chose the outfit Intent:

Which included the Switch Back Tee and Sydney Capri. You can chose different color variations but I really loved the outfit as it was so I ordered it the same as the stock picture. I really love the quality of both pieces. The pants are amazing quality and the shirt is so diverse in how you can wear it that I love it!

I have one more outfit coming from Fabletics and with my referral credits I'll probably purchase one more outfit after that. I love how stylish the workout clothes are and the quality is there. However, I cannot justify spending their retail values of $50-80 on an outfit, so once my credits are used up I will most likely be canceling. For $25 though this outfit is a hit! If you want to sign up and try it for half off your first outfit you can use my link.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

I wanted to post an update for what I purchased using the $25 coupons for Zumba.com that came in FabFitFun winter box to let you guys know what I was able to get. I had two coupons and I was able to use each coupon on a separate order.

The first item I chose was the Two-Tone Asymmetrical Tank in the color Let's Go Indigo. It was on sale for $20.99 and with free shipping I didn't have to pay anything as the $25 code covered it. Overall I like the shirt, but it is extremely long on me it is basically a dress. I have used for yoga already and it was loose and comfy.

The second item I purchased was the Mid-Level Asymmetrical Bra in the color Eat, Grey, Love. It was on sale for $15.98 and because it was less than $25 I also didn't pay anything for this too. The first thing I noticed when I opened it was how awkwardly short the straps were. You can't really tell on the model because they chose a really flattering angle (tricky!) to photograph it. I wasn't so sure how I would feel about it but once I put it on it wasn't soo bad. It definitely sits high up on the chest so it will show through any shirt you are working out in. After reading the reviews I ordered a size up, and happy I did as it runs small. It gave me good support for my yoga routine so I am pleased with it.

Overall I am happy with both items I received because I essentially got them both for free. I don't think I would have purchased either of them for retail value and probably won't be purchasing from Zumba.com again as I am not someone who actually does Zumba. I was disappointed with FabFitFun winter box but after my purchases from Zumba and Fashion Project I feel much better about the box because I actually really needed some workout clothes, and for once the coupon a box included didn't require me to spend money to use it.

I wanted to do an update for what I purchased from Fashion Project using the codes that were included in FabFitFun winter box. I had two $30 codes that I was able to use in two separate orders. Fashion Project is basically an online consignment shop that donates money from every purchase to different charities.

The first item I purchased was a J. Crew flannel top. My purchase contributed to the Animal Welfare Association Incorporated. The Shirt cost $25 before $6.99 shipping. My coupon took off $30, so I ended up only paying $1.99 for the shirt. What a steal!!! I love the quality!

The second item I got were Coach sneakers! I loved these the moment I saw them and purchased them immediately before they sold! They were $29 with $6.99 shipping. With my $30 coupon I ended up paying $5.99!!!! $6 for coach sneakers heck yes! I love them! I cannot wait to wear them out for my walks with Sailor! The purchase of these sneakers donated to Home of the Sparrow Inc.

Overall I am happy with my items! I love them both and with the coupons these were amazing steals. Without future coupons I am not sure if I will actually make any future purchases from Fashion Project. However, I am impressed with the quality of the items and quick shipping time. This site will be on my radar to scope out every now and then. After these purchases I am a little more satisfied with my fabfitfun winter box.

Sailor and I got to try BarkBox this month. I purchased while there was a buy one month get on free promo code. BarkBox is one of the most popular subscription boxes for dogs and cost $29.99/month and even cheaper if you do a 3 month subscription ($24/mo), 6 month subscription ($21/mo), or a 12 month subscription ($19/mo). You can also add on a premium toy for $9.

Sailor was so excited for his box! Can you tell? January's theme is Ice Age!

These are both exclusive to BarkBox and they are the cutest!! The adorable snowman reminds me of the one from Monsters Inc. I really love that the squeaker on the snowman is a deeper grunt sound, so it is soo much less annoying than the regular toys. These were both a hit for him!

Aussie Naturals Salmon Skin Training Treat Nibbles- $8 I knew as soon as I opened the box that these were what Sailor was going crazy over! They have a very strong fish odor but he liked them.

Heartland Premium Rib- $2. He also really like this! This rib is made from all American USDA approved beef. BarkBox wrote a helpful tip to give it them in the kitchen to keep the carpets clean, which I followed and really appreciated the tip!

Complete Natural Nutrition Off-Leash Twigs- $8 These chewing twigs are made of all natural turkey and pumpkin from Canada. These help to keep their teeth clean and breath smelling good.

Overall I really liked this months BarkBox. The toys are adorable and made of good quality so hopefully they last a while. I really appreciate the fact that all the treats included in the box are made within North America and contain high quality ingredients. It is also pretty cool that the info card contained item codes that you can text to BarkBox to reorder anything if your pup especially loved something in this months box. Sailor can't wait for next months box!